


The Future Mrs. Reddington

by jackandsamforever



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: F/M, future!fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-03-05
Packaged: 2018-01-09 15:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1147674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackandsamforever/pseuds/jackandsamforever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a fic set 7 years in the future. They've just finished taking down #1 on Red's list and Liz is left wondering what's going to happen next with them. Do they have a future together?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jessahmewren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessahmewren/gifts).



> This is a future!fic set 7 years after the pilot aired. This is for Jessahmewren because of a conversation we had on the Facebook: Lizzington shippers page. I know it's fluffy..but I'm trying to prove I can write happy things! It's not totally original either..but eh..who cares.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't anything having to do with The Blacklist..I'm just having fun with the characters.

**Seven Years in the future**

Liz walked in her dark apartment, exhausted. Red's blacklist was finally complete after seven long years. They had taken down number one, a US Senator, just that night. Red had seemed particularly relieved that Fitch had been shot and killed while attempting to escape, and Liz didn't even attempt to understand why. He didn't usually share his thought processes with her unless it was necessary; it had been like that since the beginning.

Tom was out of the picture. He had been number five on Red's list, and was caught red-handed over four years ago. He was serving a life sentence in prison for multiple crimes, murder being among them. She was past feeling hurt and angry over Tom's betrayal, and was finally at a good place in her life. Red had been her touchstone throughout it all, and in turn they were closer than ever. Not quite lovers, but not just partners either.

He usually came to her apartment every night, even if they didn't have a case to talk about, and they would discuss anything and everything over dinner; they mostly talked about things that he had seen in his lifetime of traveling, as he was much more experienced than her. She didn't mind though, she loved listening to and watching him talk, and he would often turn the conversation back to her after he finished with his stories.

They'd kissed a few times over the years, particularly after stressful cases, as a reminder that they were still alive, and he hugged her often, pulling her close to him and enveloping her completely until she felt like she could breath again; but there had been no progression from there. He always touched her when they were at work; a hand on her back or elbow, a pat on her shoulder that lingered a little too long. She felt frustrated because she didn't want any of her colleagues to see her getting comfortable with the criminal, but yet she was tired of hiding her feelings for him.

Now that the blacklist was complete, the other part of Red's deal that he signed in the beginning went into effect. He was to be cleared of any and all charges. He didn't have to run anymore, but she didn't know what he planned on doing next. They hadn't had a chance to discuss it before she had been whisked away by Ressler back to the FBI to finish paperwork. Apparently he had a hot date with his fiancé, Audrey. They made a cute couple and Liz was happy for him. He was one of her best friends, and after Meera had been exposed as the mole they had become even closer, but she never felt for him what she felt for Red. It wasn't even close to the same kind of love.

She trudged up the stairs, flipping on lights as she walked; her feet felt like lead blocks, and by the time she reached the top step, they were dragging. It had been another twenty hour work day and she was ready to drop face-first on her bed and sleep for hours. It was only 8:00 PM, but it felt much later. She quickly changed into comfortable clothes: an old white t-shirt of Red's that he had left after spilling something on it, and some athletic shorts that came to mid-thigh. She pulled her hair up into a loose ponytail and quickly checked her appearance in the mirror. Satisfied, she began walking out of the bathroom, and heard a key turning in the front door. She wasn't worried though because Red was the only other person with a key.

Liz smiled, glad he decided to come over even though it had been a long day, and walked downstairs as fast as her tired legs would allow. She made it in time to see him slip through the door and lock it behind him. He was carrying bags that smelled like Chinese, and Liz's stomach grumbled loudly. She heard Red huff a small laugh as he turned around, "I knew you wouldn't have eaten yet, I'm glad I know your terrible eating habits so well." He was still smiling, but he looked exhausted as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek softly. He lingered for a few seconds longer than necessary and she could feel his rough five o'clock shadow, which meant he hadn't been home to shower or shave since he had left the crime-scene. She wanted to grab his face and kiss him on the mouth, but there was no way she would ever be that forward with him without knowing how he felt about her. So instead she smiled back and said, "I just got home actually, I haven't even had a chance to think about eating."

He nodded but didn't say anything as he hung his fedora up on the coat rack and walked in the living room, waving his arm absentmindedly for her to follow him. He seemed preoccupied and Liz wondered why. She slowly followed him and watched as he shed his coat and scarf, and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt, then took off his tie. She loved that he was comfortable enough to shed his facade of indifference to the world in front of her.

She walked over and picked up his coat and scarf, then hung them on the rack with his fedora. He had disappeared into the kitchen as she was doing so, and walked back out with plates and silverware moments later.

She was confused by his continued silence. "Red, is everything ok?"

He sat down on the couch and began taking the food out of the bags, "I'm fine, Lizzy, just tired."

She made her way over to the couch and sat down next to him, closer than she normally would. He glanced at her with a slightly surprised expression. "Are _you_ ok, sweetie?" He had taken up calling her a few different pet names over the years, and "sweetie" was among one of her favorites.

Liz nodded, "I'm tired too. I don't think I'll be very good company tonight."

He was leaning over, preparing his plate as he said, "I don't plan to stay long anyway. I have some business to attend to that can't wait until tomorrow."

She was worried that he was going to disappear now that the list was complete. "You're coming back, right?" Her expression must have given her away, because he put his hand on her bare thigh and looked her in the eye. "I don't plan on leaving you, Lizzy, if that's what you're asking. I don't know what's going to happen now that we're finished with my list, but you don't need to worry about not seeing me again."

She sighed audibly in relief and smiled faintly, "I'm glad."

They stared at each other for what seemed like minutes, his thumb moving slowly back and forth over her thigh, eliciting goosebumps on her skin. She looked at his mouth, licked her lips and started moving closer and closer to him with each breath. They were inches apart now, and his thumb stopped. She glanced down in confusion, then back up into his eyes. He had that preoccupied look on his face again.

Liz sat back, embarrassed, and cleared her throat, "Will Dembe be going with you?" Dembe had been a constant companion to Red, and had become a good friend to Liz. She loved him like he was her brother, and was glad for his presence in her life, not to mention the fact that he had saved Red's life multiple times.

He was still staring at her with that unfathomable expression, and seemed surprised at her words. He blinked and took his hand off her leg and said in a rough voice, "Yes, you don't need to worry about my safety."

She started to make her own plate, not looking at him as she said, "I always worry about you."

Liz watched out of the corner of her eye as he stiffened and set his plate down on the coffee table. He turned to her, "Lizzy." His voice was full of an emotion she couldn't identify.

He didn't say anything else and Liz raised her eyebrows at him in question. He seemed at a loss for words, but she didn't know how to help him.

Red turned his body towards her and put his hand on her jaw, then said softly, "I want you to be Mrs. Reddington in the future."

She was so surprised at his words that she was rendered speechless by the sudden turn in the conversation. She opened and closed her mouth, but nothing came out. He grimaced and dropped his hand, then mumbled, "What a time for words to fail me."

She finally found her voice, but it sounded strained, "You've never even told me what you feel for me and now you're asking me to be your wife?"

"Eventually."

She couldn't hold back the little laugh that burst through, "You're pulling my leg aren't you?"

He didn't smile though, and she sobered quickly and said in disbelief, "You're serious?"

He reached over and took her hand, "Now that my list is complete, I'm free to do whatever I wish without having to worry about being arrested, for the first time in a very long time. What I want is to travel the world with you and show you all my favorite places, while helping you find your own."

"You want me to quit the FBI and run away with you?" The idea was growing on her. There wasn't anything here for her anyway. Certainly not her job, since she would most likely be reassigned to some boring desk job.

Instead of answering, he leaned forward and kissed her softly, then pulled back and simply said, "Yes."

She lifted her hand and put it on his cheek, running it over the scratchy stubble, causing him to close his eyes. "Ok."

He opened his eyes, pursed his lips and raised one eyebrow, "Ok?"

She put her hand on the back of his neck, pulled him forward and tentatively kissed him. Just as she began to pull back, he cupped her face with his hands and pulled her back, kissing her much more passionately than before.

After several moments she broke off the kiss, feeling light-headed. "Ok, I'll go with you, and marry you...sometime." She smiled, getting more and more used to the idea of a future with him.

"Eventually." He smiled.

"You're looking at the future Mrs. Reddington." Then she laughed. The future suddenly looked a lot brighter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally intended for this to be a one-shot, but the plot-bunnies wouldn't leave me alone. I'm sorry for updating so fast, but I just had to get this out before my muse decided it wanted to write more for "Navigation."

The next day she resigned from the FBI. They tried to get her stay by offering her whatever position she wanted anywhere in the States with more pay. When she refused any and all offers, they tried to tell her that they could arrest her and charge her for colluding with a criminal; to which she responded that said "criminal" had been cleared of any charges. They didn't have anything to say to that, so she walked out on them. Then she'd packed up her desk, said goodbye to Ressler and wished him luck with his future marriage, and walked out without a second glance.

She'd been beaten down multiple times over the years and every time she had stood back up, she was just a little shorter. The last few years had been the hardest and she felt like she was carrying a lot on her shoulders with little hope of relief in sight. Leaving was the best thing for her mentally, as well as physically.

When she arrived back at her apartment, she found Red asleep on her couch. He never slept well and Liz was careful not to make too much noise lest she wake him up from some much-needed sleep. He had his shoes off and his shirt and vest were both unbuttoned, exposing his white undershirt. He looked incredibly handsome and Liz couldn't help herself as she sat down gingerly on the arm rest of the couch and watched him sleep. His mouth was slightly ajar and he was making a slight whistling sound every time he breathed out. She thought it was adorable, but would never admit that out loud to anyone.

After they'd finished their dinner the previous night he had kissed her softly and left, telling her he wouldn't be gone too long. Last time he'd said that, it had been three weeks. She'd smiled and walked him to the door, acting like she was fine with him leaving, while feeling apprehensive on the inside. She didn't know what she would do if he never returned. She went straight to bed after he left and fell asleep immediately, too exhausted to even worry for his safety or his return.

The next morning when she'd gotten up to leave for work he still hadn't returned; finding him back now brought immediate relief.

She must have jostled the couch slightly, because his breathing changed and he opened his eyes soon after. He blinked a few times, lifted his head, then smiled faintly at Liz, "When did you get back?"

She put her hand on his sock-clad foot and squeezed it lightly, then raised her eyebrows in question, "I could ask you the same."

He yawned and brought his wrist up to look at his watch, "I've only been here for a couple of hours. How did it go with the FBI?"

He sat up and patted the couch next to him. She moved from the arm rest and plopped down onto the cushion furthest away from him. He started running his hands over his face, trying to wake up, as she said, "They weren't happy. They tried to threaten me with arrest for "collusion with a criminal." He looked up at that, but she continued before he could say anything, "I might have laughed, then told them they you were cleared of anything and everything. I think I took the wind out of their sails because they just sat there looking angry. So I walked out and left."

He reached over and patted her thigh, "That's my girl."

She grinned as he stood up and stretched his back with a groan. She hadn't noticed that his belt was undone as well. "Red, if you wanted to just not wear any clothes, that could have been arranged."

He turned his head to her and gave her a predatory grin, "Oh Lizzy, there'll be plenty of time for that."

She felt heat rising in her cheeks and cursed her fair complexion. He huffed a laugh at her blush and mumbled as he walked towards the bathroom, "I'll be back."

She sat there for a moment, willing her blush to fade, before standing up and walking in the kitchen.

Liz stood there with the refrigerator open, lost in thought. She didn't hear Red's approach until he wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck, planting light kisses before whispering in her ear, "You look absolutely stunning this morning."

She smiled and turned her head as far as she could, hugging his arms, "Flattery will you get everywhere."

He kissed her ear then pulled away, leaning against the counter behind him and crossing his arms, "I think we should leave today. I'm ready to get out of this nasty cold weather and traffic."

She turned around and saw that his shirt was still unbuttoned, so she reached forward and started toying with one of the buttons, avoiding eye contact. She was nervous about dropping everything and leaving.

"Are you second-guessing your decision to leave with me?" His voice was low as he reached forward and ran his hand up and down her arm gently.

She grimaced, "No...I guess I'm having a hard time imagining just dropping everything in my life and running away."

His hand stilled, "Is that you what you think we're doing? Running away?"

She still hadn't looked him in the eye as she nodded.

He sighed, "Lizzy, I don't want to force you do come with me. I don't consider it running away because we'll come back and visit occasionally. If you don't feel like you can take that step then you can stay here, and I'll come back to visit periodically."

She didn't want that. His visits would become less and less frequent until they eventually stopped. Their relationship would be over before it even started.

"No. I don't want that either. I'm going to go with you. I'm just trying to get used to the idea."

He tilted her head up with a finger under her chin, "It'll get easier once we leave and you get to visit places you've only dreamed about."

She put on a brave face and smiled, "Probably...so you want to leave today? What about all my stuff?"

He folded his arms back across his chest, "The apartment is going to stay like it is, I've paid for two years in advance, so all you need to bring is your clothes and other personal effects."

She narrowed her eyes, "You paid for two years? Seriously, you didn't nee-" He cut her off with a raised hand, "It's done, Sweetie."

She could never resist him when he called her that. "Well, thanks. It won't seem like running away as much if we still have a place to come back to." She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb, "I'm going to go pack. You want to help?" Her grin had a slight leer to it, and he caught on quickly. "I would love to help. Perhaps I can pack your undergarments?"

She snorted, "In your dreams, Red."

OOOOOOO

_Two months later_

They were currently in a little town in middle of nowhere Canada, and were trying to decide which of the three motels in town to stay in. None of them were particularly nice and Red grimaced at each suggestion she made. She was tired and didn't care where they stayed as long as it had a bed. She hadn't been feeling well the last week or so and was wondering if she was coming down with the flu; but she never mentioned it to Red because she didn't want to cause undue worry.

She'd been having the time of her life, getting to see places and people that she never would have been able to see if not for him. Their relationship had progressed to the point where they first made love a little over a month ago. They had been so consumed with each other that neither one of them had mentioned anything about protection, or even thought about it until afterward. She wasn't worried though, because she was almost positive she couldn't get pregnant naturally. It had been one of the most intense experiences of her life, and now she finally knew what it was to truly love someone completely. It had never been like that with any of her other partners, especially Tom.

They were sitting in their rental car, facing two of the motels. "Red, just choose one of them. It's not like we have much choice."

He pursed his lips, "We could drive back to the jet and sleep there. At least we won't have to worry about bedbugs." He had that disgusted look back on his face.

She rolled her eyes, "We are so not driving an hour backwards just to sleep on uncomfortable chairs."

"I'm positive they're more comfortable than the beds in any of these places", he said with disdain.  
Liz sighed, not in the mood to argue with him. "Well you can go back, but I'm going to go check in at that hotel and go to sleep. I'm exhausted."

He glanced over at her and said, "Fine, but I get to choose the next place we visit. Really Lizzy, Canada?"

She shrugged, "I've always wanted to come here."

He couldn't argue with that as he pulled in the parking lot of the best looking motel of the three. He put his hand on her thigh and squeezed it lightly before getting out and walking in. Liz admired his ass as he walked in; she always found herself staring at him when she could without him noticing.

He came back quickly and drove the car to where their room was, then helped her bring in the luggage as she flipped on the light.

It was rustic, but it wasn't that bad.

She turned to tease him, but felt a wave of nausea that had her running for the bathroom. She barely made it in time before she lost her dinner then dry-heaved a few more times for good measure. She heard a knock on the door, "Lizzy, are you ok?"

She didn't feel ok. "I think I might have food poisoning, or maybe the flu."

"Can I get you anything, sweetheart?" His voice sounded concerned.

"Yeah, I need my toothbrush." She heard him walk away, then come back and crack the door open and a toothbrush and toothpaste appeared. She took it, "Thanks. I'll be out in a minute."

The door closed and she quickly prepared the toothbrush, then began brushing her teeth. She studied herself in the mirror. She looked pale and a little green around the gills; she really hoped she just had a virus, but was suddenly worried it might be something completely different. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the reviews and kudos from the first chapter. I truly enjoyed all of your words of encouragement. Are you guys interested in me continuing this or should I just leave what's wrong with her to all of your own imaginations? I don't want to annoy you all with my constant updates..haha. Have a great day.


	3. Chapter 3

Liz quickly finished up in the bathroom and walked out to find Red sitting on the bed. He stood as soon as she came out and touched her shoulder, "Are you Ok?"

She shook her head, and immediately regretted it because it made her sway slightly on her feet, "I still feel really sick. It must have been something I ate."

He furrowed his eyebrows, walked over to her suitcase and pulled out her pajamas, then handed them to her, "Why don't you go put these on and we can go to bed. Maybe a good night's sleep will you do some good. We've been traveling non-stop for a long while now."

She nodded and started stripping her clothes off where she stood. She didn't have the energy to go back in the bathroom and there wasn't anything he hadn't already seen anyway.

She was down to her bra and underwear when Red walked around her and unhooked her bra for her, then slid the straps off of her shoulders. She finished taking it off and quickly grabbed the shirt that she usually wore to bed. It was one of his t-shirts that she had stole from him a while ago. He'd never asked for it back, so she kept it because it was soft and smelled like him.

Liz didn't bother with putting on shorts as she turned and put her arms around him. He hadn't changed out of his dress shirt and vest yet, so she hung on tightly to the back of his vest and put her head on his shoulder. He kissed the side of her head and wrapped his arms around her just as tightly.

He didn't say anything as she stood there for a few minutes and breathed him in. His familiar scent settled her stomach, so she finally released her tight grip on him and pushed back slightly, not breaking contact completely. She looked up at him and grimaced, "I'm starting to feel a little better. Let's go to bed."

He nodded and grabbed her hand, then led her to the bed and pulled the covers down for her. She slid under them quickly and turned on her side to face him. He touched her leg softly, "I'm going to go get ready. I'll be back shortly."

She nodded and watched as he collected his bathroom kit and clothes and walked in the bathroom. He didn't bother to close the door and she watched him get prepared for bed. He stripped his clothes off and hung them on a hanger, then put on a pair of flannel pajama pants. He always slept in something different, whether it was in just his boxers, a pair of athletic shorts, flannel pants, or nothing at all; that was her favorite.

He finished up and walked over to the other side of the bed, then slid in under the covers. As soon as he was settled, he reached over and put his hand on her hip. She moved back into him and he moved the hand that was on her hip, under her shirt. He splayed his hand on her stomach and moved his fingers in a soothing way until she was just on the verge of sleep. His hand stopped and he moved closer, then whispered in her ear, "Goodnight, Lizzy." Then moved back slightly and continued stroking her stomach. She must have already been asleep because she didn't answer.

Despite her best efforts at hiding it from him, he'd noticed that she'd been off-kilter all week. Small grimaces when she stood up too fast, going to sleep earlier than usual, and avoiding strong smelling foods to name a few instances. They hadn't used protection the first time they'd made love, but she had insisted on it every time since. He didn't think she could have children naturally, but maybe he had assumed wrong. He didn't know what he would do if she was pregnant. He'd never allowed himself to think about having children again, knowing he didn't deserve a second chance, and wasn't sure how she would feel about it either. He'd done a lot of horrible and unforgivable things in his life, and didn't understand why Lizzy wanted him at all after witnessing some of them. He thanked whatever entity existed above every day for his good fortune. Bringing a child in to this situation might be a breaking point for her, and he didn't want to find out.

Red fell into a troubled sleep, hoping that she really did have the flu, and that his earlier ruminations were moot.

OOOOOO

The next morning, Liz woke up feeling normal again. Maybe she really had just eaten something bad and got it out of her system. Red's arm was draped over her hip and his hand was on her lower abdomen. She'd never took him for a cuddler, but found out quickly that he was. He loved to touch her, and he did so whenever he got the chance. Tom had never really been the touchy-feely type, so it took some getting used to, but when she did she found that she craved his touch more than anything. He was a considerate lover, another thing that surprised her, and she tried to reciprocate as much as she knew how. She never had been very good at showing affection, something that probably stemmed from her childhood, because she was never taught until Sam came into her life; but it was too late by then.

Red's hand twitched and she knew he was waking up; he always had little tells. She turned over and wrapped her arm around his back, pulling him close, but he kept his eyes firmly shut. His stubble was evident in the early morning light and she ran her other hand over his cheek lightly. She'd always loved facial hair on men, and tried to get Red to grow a beard, but he always refused; never giving her a reason and always distracting her from asking why.

She leaned forward and planted light kisses on his face until his eyes opened. He pursed his lips and groaned, "What time is it? It's way too early to be getting up isn't it?"

He hated that she was an early riser, and always complained about it. She didn't like wasting half the day away sleeping and usually managed to drag him out of bed after he finished complaining. Each time it took him a good hour to warm up to her, but she didn't mind, because she loved seeing an imperfect Red under his perfect clothes and posture.

Red rolled over on his back, taking her with him until she was practically lying on top of him. He started running his hand up and down her back under her shirt. "How are you feeling?" His eyes were closed, so she laid her head on his chest and started playing with the short hairs by his belly button, "I'm feeling a lot better actually. Guess it was just something I ate."

His hand stopped, "Are you certain?"

She nodded and sat up slowly so she wouldn't trigger another dizzy spell just in case, then turned back to Red who had moved an arm over his face, "I'm going to go take a shower. What do you want to do today?"

Red didn't look at her as he said, "You chose this place, sweetie, so you get to choose what we do."

"Ok, I'll think about it in the shower." She stood up to collect her things.

He took his arm off of his face and grinned suggestively, "Yell if you need help washing your back."

Liz smiled and shook her head, "I think I'll manage. Why don't you get us some breakfast while you're waiting?"

He stood up and walked over to her, she couldn't help but admire his bare chest as he leaned down and kissed her softly; she loved that he had the perfect amount of chest hair. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

She smiled, "Me too." She wasn't going to tell him about her fears of being pregnant since that didn't seem to be the case.

She turned to walk away and he swatted her behind lightly, "I'm going to go to the grocery store. I don't think I can stand eating another bite of that horrendous fast food."

She said over her shoulder as she walked in the bathroom, "Ok, see you soon."

Red smiled faintly and began changing his clothes; not understanding why she chose to be with him when he was just an old, ornery man with a tainted past, but was damn grateful that she did.

OOOOOO

Red hadn't bothered dressing in his usual attire. He wore a black t-shirt that said "I hiked Bryce Canyon National Park and survived to tell about it." Liz had given it to him as a gag gift after they visited the park, but he loved it because it was from her; so he made a point to wear it whenever he could. He could tell it pleased her when he did.

He walked in the grocery story and sighed. He hated shopping with a passion and only did it when he absolutely had to. He walked through the aisles and picked up items for breakfast and lunch. Bagels, cream cheese, bread, and sandwich fixings. He accidentally walked down the "Women's aisle" and began to turn around until he saw the pregnancy tests right at eye level. It was as if he was being mocked.

He slowly walked over to them and picked one up. He debated whether or not to buy it for about five seconds before throwing it in the cart with a shrug. It would be good to have on hand, and Liz didn't have to know about it.

He brought the items to the register and as the cashier rang up the pregnancy test, she smiled up at him. "Are congratulations in order?"

He shrugged, "I'm not certain." He didn't say anything more. The cashier frowned and quickly finished the transaction with an insincere,"Have a nice day."

He returned to the motel room after sticking the pregnancy test in a place she wouldn't find, and walked in the room. She was in the bathroom drying her hair, so he didn't bother saying anything to her as he pulled out the food and went about making them both a bagel. He had been surprised at Liz's food choices in the beginning. She was a bread fiend and he loved that she ate like normal, and not like those women who ate one bite, then declared themselves to be full. He'd been around far too many like that in his lifetime.

Just as he finished making her bagel, she walked out and smiled. "That was quick."

He nodded, "You know how much I dislike shopping."

She huffed a small laugh and walked over to her suitcase and took out a cream-colored long-sleeved shirt. She was already wearing tight black pants and he admired her as she pulled the shirt on, then looked away as she turned to him. "Did you make me one?"

He nodded and held up a plate for her. She walked over and put her hand on his shoulder, then leaned down and kissed him softly, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Have you thought about what you want to do today?"

She sat in the other chair and began eating her bagel, "Yeah, I thought we could go do the alpine slide, then maybe the zip line. Do you think you're up for that?" She smirked at him teasingly.

He raised his eyebrows, "I should be asking you that, Lizzy, you're the one who was sick."

Liz swallowed the food that was in her mouth and said, "Well I'm not anymore, so I think we should do it."

It didn't sound all that appealing to him, but he'd told her it was her choice, so he was going to suck it up for her.

"Sounds fun to me. Are you ready to leave?" He would put off showering until they returned.

"I'm ready, let's go."

He stood up and helped her to her feet then grabbed the car keys and walked out the door. He sighed internally, this was not going to be fun.

OOOOOO

They stood at the top of the alpine slide and Red looked at it with disdain; he didn't like heights, stemming from an incident years ago when he fell a great distance, almost killing him.

Liz turned to him with an excited look on her face and he quickly schooled his expression. This was all for her, she didn't need to know how he was feeling.

"Are you ready?" They were going to share a sled, and he was going to let her ride in the front so she could steer it. All he would have to do is hold on tight and close his eyes.

"I'm ready. You can sit in the front." He gestured with his hand for her to go ahead.

She nodded and got on; he sat down behind her and put his arms around her waist, and pulled her flush against him, then leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I'm glad you're here with me."

He could see her smile as she the sled started moving and said nothing as they started going faster and faster. He already felt like he was going to be sick and swallowed before burying his face in-between her shoulder-blades and taking slow breaths.

When they reached the bottom, Red let out a relieved breath and got up quickly, then pulled her up after him. Her face was red from the cool air, but she had an excited glint in her eyes that he hadn't seen in a while. He was glad someone had fun.

"That was so much fun! I can't believe I've never done that before."

He smiled faintly, "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Liz reached forward and took his hand, "Come on, let's go get something to eat."

Now eating was something he enjoyed.

They made their way over to a small café that was there specifically for the slide riders. There weren't many food choices, but it was much better than McDonald's. They both ordered sub sandwiches and sat down to eat them at a nearby table. Red finished his quickly and watched as Liz picked at hers, she had only taken a few bites.

He gestured to her food, "Is something wrong with it?"

She shook her head and grimaced, "I-", That's all she got out before her face went pale, and she quickly stood up and ran to the bathroom.

Red shook his head and stood up to follow her. There was obviously something else going on with her, and he was certain that it started with a "P" and ended with "regnant". He'd never heard of someone getting sick, then feeling better for hours, then getting sick again. He could only remember seeing that one other time in his life, and that was with his wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the positive responses to this story. I wasn't sure if people liked the slightly OOC, fluffy stuff. Please let me know what you think..good or bad, reviews are what keep us fanfiction writers motivated and wanting to write more; and to update faster too!


	4. Chapter 4

Red slowly walked over to the bathroom area and leaned against the wall to wait for Liz to come out. His fedora was pulled low over his eyes and his sunglasses hid his troubled expression. He didn't know how to approach the pregnancy subject with her, and it was causing him more anxiety than he'd experienced in years. It was a simple fact that Raymond Reddington was very rarely nervous. Lizzy changed everything though. He loved her more than he thought possible, and didn't want her to blame him and leave him because he knocked her up. He couldn't even fathom that possibility; hell, she had agreed to become his wife eventually. This possible pregnancy came at the worst possible time because things were still new between them, and he didn't know if their relationship could survive a baby. Especially since he knew that she would rather adopt a child than have one naturally.

He still has nightmares about the precious daughter he once had, and after all these years he still doesn't know exactly what happened to her. He does know that she's no longer alive though, and it causes a terrible aching pain in his chest when he thinks about it too much. He could feel that ache beginning and rubbed a closed fist over his sternum.

Liz walked out looking pale and he was happy for the distraction; he didn't need to go down that rabbit hole again. He'd made his way through more than a few bottles of scotch while caught up in his past, and it was a dangerous path that usually had a body count attached to it. He was doing his best to leave that part of him in the past.

He pushed himself off the wall and made his way over to her. She had her back to him, and looked to be searching for him. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her close to him. She let out a startled yelp and started struggling for a moment before realizing that it was just him. He hooked his chin over her shoulder and said, "Are you ok, sweetheart?"

She went slack and leaned her head against his cheek, knocking his fedora at an angle, "It's weird, because I feel ok now, but just a few minutes ago I was feeling horrible. The smell alone made my stomach turn." She hesitated, then said quietly, "I don't have the flu..do I?"

Now was his chance to ease her into the idea of the possibility that she was pregnant. He cleared his throat and turned his head so that his face was buried in her hair, then said quietly, "I don't think you have the flu, Lizzy, or food poisoning."

He moved one of his hands under her shirt and stroked her lower abdomen with his fingers. There weren't many people around and they were in a secluded area, so he wasn't worried about keeping his hands in appropriate places. He had to tell her his suspicions; she _had_ to suspect it herself. There's no way that she didn't. It only took one time without protection; they both knew that.

Red continued to move his fingers softly as he said, "Lizzy, sweetie, have you thought about the possibility that you might be pregnant?"

She stiffened and sucked in a breath, but didn't let it out. He could tell because his hand was still pressed against her stomach. He moved his lips to her ear and said softly, "Lizzy, breathe."

She let it out with a whoosh and went boneless against him. He quickly turned her around and hugged her to him. She didn't move her arms to return the embrace or say anything for a long time; just laid her head on his shoulder. He held her and didn't try to console or persuade her further.

After a while she finally pushed away from him and took a step back, then looked him in the eyes and whispered, "I didn't think I could get pregnant. I never even considered that to be a possibility."

He reached for her hand, but she took another step back. His heart dropped into his stomach. She was going to blame him, just like he suspected. _Shit_.

"Lizzy, why did you think you couldn't get pregnant?" He didn't try to move closer to her and adjusted his fedora to shade his face.

She folded her arms across her chest and said, "Tom and I tried for years. We went to multiple doctors who all told us the same thing; that there wasn't anything wrong with either of us and we just had to keep trying. We gave up after a few years, and I decided I would rather adopt. Tom just went along with it because it was what I wanted. I don't think he ever really cared about having a baby."

Red didn't want to talk about Tom. He actually didn't know what to say to that, so he decided to question her further, "What are you thinking Lizzy?"

She looked up and squinted at the sunlight that was shining in her face. He took his sunglasses off and offered them to her; she shrugged and took them with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes, then put them on. They were too big for her face, but Red thought she looked completely adorable. He would never admit that out loud though.

"I'm thinking about how big of an idiot I was for not making sure we used protection that first time we had sex." She shook her head in obvious anger, "I can't get over how irresponsible that was. What were we thinking?"

He shook his head, "I don't think we were doing much thinking. I wrongly assumed that you couldn't get pregnant, so I didn't worry about it."

"Yeah, well..now we know that it wasn't me, but Tom and I together that couldn't get pregnant. I've heard stories about that happening to couples, but I didn't ever think that was our problem." She put her hands over her face and let out a frustrated groan, "I'm so upset right now that I can't even think."

Red stepped closer and put his hand lightly on her shoulder, "Why don't we go sit down?"

She didn't shy away from his touch, which he took to be a good sign and moved his hand to the small of her back, then led her to a secluded bench.

She flopped herself on the bench and Red sat close, but not close enough that he was touching her. He was determined to give her the space she needed.

Liz spoke before he could question her further, "I guess the first step is to take a home pregnancy test to actually confirm that I'm pregnant." She glanced up at his face and saw him wince.

She looked at him through his sunglasses she still wore suspiciously, "You already bought one didn't you? Why the hell didn't you tell me that you thought I was pregnant if you already suspected it?" She was angry again, but this time it was at him.

He cleared his throat and sat back against the bench, then crossed his legs, "I wanted you to come to the same conclusion as I did on your own. I didn't want you to be angry with me, but obviously I should have told you, because you're angry anyway."

He could see her anger visibly deflate. "I'm sorry, Red. This is as much my fault as yours. I'm mad at myself mostly, and I'm taking it out on you. That's not fair to you."

He smirked, "Oh I deserve some of your ire. Go ahead and let it all out; I'm here to listen to anything you have to say. Whether it's how much you hate me for getting you pregnant, or that you want to leave me and go back to DC-"

She cut him off with a hand on his thigh, her features soft, "Red, honey, I'm not going to leave you over this. I promised to marry you "someday" and I plan on doing so. We'll deal with whatever comes with that."

He closed his eyes in relief as she continued, "What I should be concerned about is you. Could you do this again?"

Red didn't know. "Honestly, Lizzy, I've never allowed myself to think about having another child. I'm going to need time to process the thoughts running through my head, but I would never abandon you. You don't need to worry about raising a child on your own."

It was her turn to look relieved. Their communication had improved a lot over the years of them working as partners, so the baby conversation didn't go as badly as it could have.

He stood up and held his hand out to help her up; she took it and he pulled her up, then he said, "Come on, let's return to the motel and have you take the pregnancy test. This conversation could be all for naught."

"I doubt it, but yeah, let's get it over with."

He nodded and wrapped his arm around her waist and started leading her to the car. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he silently thanked God for this beautiful, understanding woman in his life, who loved him despite all of his faults, and for getting her pregnant.

OOOOOO

They returned to the motel within the hour and Red dug around in the trunk for the pregnancy test he had tossed there earlier. He found it under a blanket and followed Liz inside the room.

She looked nervous as he handed it to her. He patted her shoulder, leaned down and kissed her softly, then pulled back and smiled reassuringly. She grimaced, took the box from his hand, and walked into the bathroom, not closing the door behind her completely. He listened to the sounds of her taking the test, but didn't go in. He didn't think she would want him watching her use the bathroom.

She walked out a minute later and said, "We have to wait three to five minutes." She worried her bottom lip with her teeth as he patted the bed next to him for her to sit down. She made her way over and sat down close to him, then wrapped both arms around his waist and held him tight. He wrapped his arms around her back and rested his chin on the top of her head, then sighed. He couldn't believe this was happening, and never imagined in a million years that he would have another child at his age. He still didn't know how he felt about the possibility, because he still felt numb.

After a couple of minutes he felt Liz's arms loosen and he let her pull away. It was time to find out for sure. She pulled him up off of the bed and together they walked towards the dreaded test. Red felt like he was walking towards a big crossroad in life and was sure that Lizzy felt the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo..it's fun writing them like this..haha. Thanks so much for the reviews and kudos, I really appreciate them and I appreciate you reading my (sometimes poorly written) stories. This fandom is the best. Please let me know what you think, then maybe I'll get the next chapter with the answer out sooner!:)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set two months after the last chapter. Liz is three months pregnant.

Liz groaned as a sliver of sunlight hit her face, effectively waking her up from some much-needed sleep. She'd been awake most of the night throwing up, and hadn't gotten much sleep. Her head was pounding and it felt like a thousand rocks were rattling around inside, so she did her best not to move any more than necessary.

After the pregnancy test had shown positive two months ago, she had slid to the floor of the bathroom and sobbed. She'd never considered the possibility that she could get pregnant and was having serious thoughts about whether or not she even wanted to keep the baby. As soon as she'd thought that, she'd quickly dispelled it, she couldn't do that to Red; not after what happened to his daughter.

He had sat down next to her on the floor and pulled her into his arms, then ran his hands up and down her back gently as she'd cried into his shirt. When she'd finished, they'd sat on the floor for most of the night and discussed their options and plans now that a baby was in the equation. They'd decided to keep traveling as long as her pregnancy would allow, and when it was time for them to settle down and prepare for the baby, they would live in a house that he owned in Scotland. When they'd finished their discussion, he'd stood up and held his hand out for her to take. After he'd pulled her up, he led her to the bedroom area and began to strip off her clothes slowly while kissing her softly and sliding his hands over her body. She'd responded by doing the same to him and they'd tenderly made love. He'd made sure to whisper in her ear that he loved her, and reassured her that everything would work out. She'd believed everything he'd said, and felt hopeful for the first time as he'd slid off of her and pulled her back against his bare chest. He had leaned over and kissed her jaw softly before drifting off to sleep; she hadn't been able to fall asleep for a long time, but was eventually lulled to sleep by the sound of his slow and steady breathing.

He'd taken her to a doctor that he trusted the next day; the doctor had confirmed her pregnancy and declared that everything looked good and that he wanted to see her again in six weeks.

OOOOOO

She looked back on that night with fondness, and often thought about how sweet and caring he'd been. He was still Raymond Reddington though, and with that name came many issues that they fought over constantly. They were in Ireland at the moment so Red could conduct some "business" that "simply couldn't wait". That was one of the things they fought over a lot; that he was still running around breaking the law and dealing with dangerous criminals. She was terrified that their baby was going to be fatherless before he/she was born.

She'd asked him not to go, but he'd just kissed her on the cheek and walked out the door telling her he would be back as soon as possible. Her damn hormones had caused her to cry for over an hour after he'd left, but soon after she became furious and hated herself for loving someone who obviously wasn't willing to change. The "Morning sickness"(It usually hit her late at night) had kicked in after that, and she'd spent most of the night in the bathroom, alternating between throwing up and cursing Red for not being there for her. The last two months had been hell for her and she didn't think Red even realized how miserable she was; or if he did, he acted like he didn't care.

The opening of the bedroom door interrupted her thoughts. She rolled over to see Red stride in looking drawn and pale; He saw her looking at him and smiled at her tiredly, "Lizzy, how are you feeling?" Even his voice sounded exhausted because it had a husky quality that normally wasn't there.

She grimaced, "Not that great, I was up all night again."

He walked over and sat next to her hip, pulled the blanket down to her waist, then ran his hand under her shirt and over her still mostly flat stomach. "I'm sorry, I know you're angry with me for leaving, but I'm taking precautions to keep you safe. That's the most important issue at the moment."

She shook her head, not in the mood to fight with him, "I don't like what you're doing, but I've come to accept the fact that you don't give a damn about what I think."

His hand stilled and he narrowed his eyes at her, "That's simply not true-"

She cut him off with a resigned voice, "Red, I don't want to talk about it. I just want to sleep. I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open."

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but nodded instead, "I'm going to go shave and take a shower, then come join you. Are you up for some company?"

Liz's eyes were mostly shut as she nodded and mumbled, "That's fine."

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead then stood up; she listened as he gathered up some clothes and made his way into the bathroom and closed the door.

She suddenly felt wide awake and didn't understand how that was possible after being close to sleep seconds ago.

She needed to use the bathroom, so she dragged herself out of bed and knocked on the bathroom door, "Can I come in? I need to pee." She heard his slightly muffled response, "Of course."

She walked in saw that he was stripped down to his boxers and undershirt, and was looking entirely too good at the moment; she couldn't keep her eyes off of his body.

She watched as he began to shave and didn't know why she found it fascinating all of a sudden. She'd watched him do it multiple times, but figured it was because her brain was acting crazy at the moment. He caught her eye in the mirror and smirked, "I thought you had to use the bathroom?"

Liz blinked, "Right. I—I do."

She quickly went pee, then walked over to wash her hands. Red was just finishing up and he turned to her, "You were about to fall asleep moments ago, what happened?"

She shrugged and stepped forward to wipe away some shaving cream he'd missed on his chin. As her finger moved away from his face, he caught her wrist and pulled her towards him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and whispered into her ear, "Lizzy, you must know that I realize that you're going through hell at the moment. I feel terrible that I can't be there for you when you're sick. I'm not out there doing what you think; I'm ensuring our protection the best way I know how. You have to patient with me."

He could have called her a fat cow and told her he was joining the circus at that moment and she wouldn't have cared. He was warm and smelt like home, and somehow his presence calmed her constantly rolling stomach. She nuzzled his neck, "I'm trying Red, but it's hard when you're gone all the time."

Red pulled back slightly to cup her jaw with both hands, "That won't be the case for much longer, I promise."

She nodded the best she could and leaned forward to kiss him lightly, but before she could pull away, he slipped his hand behind her neck and deepened the kiss. His lips slid over hers insistently until she responded by running her tongue over his bottom lip until he allowed it entrance. She felt dizzy and light-headed with desire, and her hormone crazed brain went wild when she could feel his arousal pressing into her lower abdomen. She put her hands on his hips and pulled him flush against her and heard him moan as he dropped his head and started placing wet, open-mouthed kisses on her collarbone. She was wearing one of his old t-shirts that hung from her shoulder, so it allowed him easy access.

He moved his hands to take off her shirt and she stopped him by pushing on his shoulder slightly, "I need to shower too. How about we move this over there?"

Red looked at her with eyes that were clouded with desire and it made her stomach flip at the intensity of his gaze. He blinked and nodded, "That sounds like a perfectly fine idea to me."

He quickly divested her of her clothes and she did the same with him, then they resumed their activities in the shower.

Liz felt loved and taken care of by him for the first time in days. It was times like these that she didn't have doubts about their relationship, or what their future held. She wished she could bottle up that feeling and never let it go, because it was priceless.

OOOOOO

_Two months later_

They were back in the US for a short while so Liz could visit another OB that Red trusted. They were going to find out the sex of the baby and Liz was both excited and nervous. She wanted it to be a boy, not only because a girl would remind Red of his dead daughter, but because she wanted someone to carry on the Reddington name.

They were specifically in Southern California, and the weather was absolutely perfect. She felt like telling Red that she wanted to stay here for the rest of her pregnancy, but she still wanted to do some more traveling while she could.

Ever since her plea for him to be around more, he'd made an effort to be there for her. He still left more than she liked, but he was trying, and that's all she could realistically ask for from him. After the end of the third month, her morning sickness had all but disappeared and she felt well enough for them to begin traveling again. They'd gone to many places, including France, and Liz had fallen in love with it.; it was definitely a place she wanted to visit again someday.

She was exactly halfway through her pregnancy and her baby bump was finally beginning to show. Red often told her that she was an absolutely gorgeous pregnant woman, and teased that he was going to knock her up again just so he could see her like this all the time. She laughed him off, but it made her wonder if there was a possibility that she could have another one; but she needed to get through this first one before thinking about having another.

Red had his hand on the small of her back as he led her inside the OB's office. It was decorated beautifully with modern couches and tables, and it evoked a feeling of calmness that Liz felt immediately.

They walked up the receptionist and Liz smiled at the older woman, "Hi, I have an appointment with Dr. Chambers."

The woman smiled, then pulled out some paperwork, attached it to a clipboard and handed it to her, then said, "Yes, welcome, we need you to fill out this paperwork then we can get you in." She looked at Red, "Is this your husband?"

Liz didn't feel like explaining their complicated relationship, so she just nodded.

The woman smiled at Red, "I'm glad you're here for this. It's always fun when we have the dads come."

Red smiled faintly, "I'm sure." Then turned and followed Liz to a small loveseat.

He put his arm around her and pulled her close, then whispered in her ear, "It's incredibly hot when you tell people that I'm your husband. Maybe we should make it official?" His voice was slightly teasing.

She turned her face towards him, their lips inches apart and said, "Can we not talk about this right now?"

He smirked and kissed her lightly, then watched as she lied her way through the paperwork. Nothing she put down was true, they couldn't risk telling the truth.

After finishing up the paperwork and giving it to the receptionist, they were called back quickly. They were led back to the ultrasound room and Red stood to the side as she got prepped. The doctor walked in and smiled at Red, "Re-"

Red cut him off before he could finish with a shake of his head and with a false voice said, "Dr. Chambers, it's good to meet you."

The Doctor looked confused for a moment, but caught on soon after, and held out his hand to him, "Nice to meet you too." He turned to Liz and smiled, "Are you ready to find out the sex of your baby?"

Liz smiled, "More than ready."

The Doctor turned to the machine, squeezed some warm gel on her stomach, and placed the wand on her bump. Red walked closer and took her hand and squeezed it lightly. She smiled at him before turning back to the screen.

The Doctor mumbled, "Hmm..baby's being stubborn." He moved the wand some more and gently prodded the baby to move. He smiled suddenly, "Ah..there we go..I can say with 99.9% certainty that you're having a girl."

Liz's heart dropped as Red's face went blank and his hand went limp. _Uh oh_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the reviews and kudos. I really do appreciate them. I feel like I've struggled mightily with my writing lately, so I apologize for that, I don't know what the hell my problem is. Please let me know what you think about this chapter..good or bad. Reviews go a long way towards curing whatever ails. Have a great day.


	6. Chapter 6

As they walked out of the doctor's office, Liz turned to Red to ask if he was ok. He hadn't said a word since leaving the ultrasound room. He was walking slightly behind her with his hands in his pockets and was looking off into the distance, refusing to make eye contact with her. His expression was closed off, and she knew from that look that he wouldn't be open to talking about anything, so she turned back around and continued walking towards the car; missing the hand that was usually on her back.

After helping her sit up when the doctor finished with the ultrasound, he had quietly excused himself and didn't return for the rest of the appointment. Liz wanted to go after him, but she needed to finish with the doctor, so she had put on a brave face and tried to pretend that everything was ok. The doctor had told her that everything looked great and to just make sure to continue taking good care of herself. She'd nodded in all the right places, pretending like she was listening, when all she could think about was Red.

As they reached the car, Dembe stood there holding the back door open, and as she slid in the back seat he looked at her questioningly. He could tell something was wrong, but since she couldn't say anything with Red right behind her, she just shrugged and quirked her eyebrows. That's when Red spoke up in a low voice, "You two need to stop, I'm fine." He slid in the car after Liz, and Dembe shut the door.

Liz sat against the opposite door and looked at him; his jaw was clenched and his body language screamed "Don't talk to me", but she wasn't going to let him shut her out. "Red, stop."

He looked at her with raised eyebrows, "Stop what, sweetheart?"

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Stop pretending like everything is ok. I'm not stupid, I can tell that finding out that the baby's a girl is clearly bothering you."

He didn't look at her as he grimaced, "It was...surprising. I thought it was going to be a boy, that's all."

Liz sighed in exasperation, then scooted over next to him and punched his arm lightly, "Talk to me."

He bit his lip, apparently thinking over if he wanted to say anything. She put her hand on his head and ran her fingernails through his short hair, "Please don't shut me out again."

He sighed and leaned closer to her as she continued to run her fingers over his scalp, and said in a quiet voice, "I'm afraid that having a daughter will only remind me of what I've lost. I could never handle losing another child, and that's all I can think about at night; losing this one too."

Her heart was breaking for him, but she didn't know what to say to help him feel better. She wasn't sure she could say anything that would. "Red, obviously you know that there are never any guarantees, but you can't allow yourself to think about what _might_ happen. All you can do is try to live in the present, and not the past." She knew she sounded so cliché, but what else could she say?

He nodded, took a deep breath, and laid his head on her shoulder. They sat in silence. Red put his hand on her thigh and began playing with the fabric as she started to massage his neck and shoulders because he was so tense. As they pulled in front of the house, he sat up and reached over to tuck her hair behind her ear, "Thank you for saying what you did. It helps to talk about it."

She nodded, leaned forward and kissed him softly, then pulled back, "We'll keep your daughter's memory alive. Our daughter isn't going to be a replacement."

She watched as his eyes filled up with tears, but he quickly blinked them back and nodded, "It's going to take some getting used to, but it'll work out, I'm sure of it."

Her eyes were watery as she followed him out of the car. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close, then walked with her up to the front door. Before going inside, he pulled her into a hug and kissed her ear then whispered, "I love you, Lizzy."

When he was like this, it was impossible to stay angry at him. She kissed his jaw, then whispered back, "I love you too, Ray." She didn't use his given name often, but when she did, he loved it.

He pulled back, smiled softly and kissed her deeply, then pulled back and opened the door and led her to their bedroom. She was confident that everything would work out for the best.

OOOOOO

_Three months later_

Liz was eight months pregnant and more than ready to be done. After traveling non-stop the last three months, she had finally had enough, and told Red that they needed to get the house in Scotland ready. He'd agreed, and they had arrived just hours ago. It wasn't anywhere near being ready and Liz was annoyed at Red for not making sure that it was.

"Red, seriously, you've had months to hire someone to get the house ready. I've tripped over boxes all day, and eventually I'm going to fall flat on my face and go into early labor." Her voice had reached near hysteria by the end. Her feet and ankles were swollen, and her back was killing her, and all she wanted to do was sleep; but the bed was covered with crap too. She felt like sitting down in the middle of the living room and bawling. Damn hormones.

Red held up his hands in a placating gesture, which only served to piss her off even more, "Sweetie, I did hire someone, but they didn't do what I asked. It's my fault for not making sure, but I've already called another company to come in soon, so it should be done in a few hours."

She groaned and leaned back on her hands, trying to ease the ache in her lower back, but it did little to help. He walked over to her and held his hand out for her to take, "Lets get you over to the couch and I'll rub your feet." He'd taken to doing that for her at least twice a day, and she was eternally grateful to him for it, even if she was pissed at him at the moment; she would never turn down a foot rub.

She sighed and took his hand, and he pulled her up with a quiet grunt, then led her over to the couch. Liz sat down with a sigh as he sat next to her and pulled her legs over his lap. He began to rub her feet and ankles, and all her annoyance and anger at him left with every stroke of his thumb on her arches; it felt like heaven.

She was almost asleep when a knock on the door sounded. He patted her calf and said, "That must be the moving company. Just stay here and try to relax, Lizzy. We'll be done within a few hours. He handed her the remote to the TV, which she thought was ironic that that was already set up but nothing else was, and left to answer the door. She heaved a miserable sigh and searched through the guide until she saw that a _Bones_ marathon was on (it was one of her favorite shows). She turned to it and blissfully forgot about all her aches, pains and annoyances. Booth and Brennan really were perfect for each other, and she felt blessed to have a man in her life that loved her as much as Booth loved Brennan. She sniffed as tears filled her eyes; she really hated how pregnancy made her so sappy.

After watching three straight episodes, and not seeing Red at all, she decided to go see what was going on. She got up slowly off the couch and stretched her back; it felt like every bone in her body cracked. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water, then walked upstairs to where she could hear Red's voice. She rounded the corner and smiled at the sight of him. He was shirtless, but still wearing his dress pants, and was covered in sweat as he helped a mover carry a couch to the corner of the room. She loved that he dove in to help, and that he wasn't afraid of a little hard work. He saw her standing in the door and walked over to her, wiping an arm over his forehead. "This is the last room to set up, then we'll be done."

She nodded and ran her hand down his side that had the tattoo written in Hebrew. Out of all his tattoos, she loved that one the most. The message behind it always made her smile when she thought about it.

"Ok, I'm ready to go to bed, so when you're done come get me please." She held out the bottle of water to him, and he took it and took a long drink, then wiped his mouth.

He smiled faintly and kissed her cheek, "We won't be longer than an hour." She trailed her fingers through his chest hair as she walked away, and she heard him groan as he said in a warning tone, "Lizzy, don't start something you don't intend to finish."

She smiled over her shoulder, "We'll see. The sooner you're done, the sooner you'll get to find out."

OOOOOO

_Two weeks later_

Two weeks. All she had to do was suffer for two more weeks. That was what she'd been chanting to herself the entire day as the ache in her back continued to increase. Nothing helped the pain, and she was more miserable than she could ever remember being.

She was laying in bed and Red had his hand on her belly, feeling their daughter's kicks. This was something he did every morning, and she allowed him this because he was always so good to her.

"You know, Red, they say sex helps jump start labor."

He huffed a small laugh, his golden eyelashes catching in the early morning sunlight coming through the window. "Lizzy, you still have two weeks. I don't want to jump start anything."

She groaned, "I'm not above begging. I'm so miserable."

He removed his hand and looked at her, his face serious, "I don't want to hurt you."

Liz put her hand on his jaw and ran her fingers over his stubble, "You won't hurt me, I promise."

Pregnancy made her crave sex like no other time in her life, and Red had been good about giving it to her when she wanted, except for the last two weeks. She missed him and the intimacy it created between them.

"Very well, but you're going to have to tell me what you want me to do so I won't injure you."

She nodded and turned her body towards him as he began to move his hands over her body. She was always ready these days, so it wouldn't take much effort from him. She could tell he was ready to go moments later and said, "I'm ready, hurry please."

He leaned over her and kissed her, then she pushed him off and moved to the position she needed to be in for it to happen. She heard him sigh as he moved behind her.

For the next fifteen minutes she was lost in the sensations and forgot about everything but how much she loved this man, and how grateful she was to him for doing this for her.

OOOOOO

He was breathing hard as he moved to her side and flopped down on his back. She moved her body to lay on her side, and ran her hand over his chest. "Thank you, Ray. You don't know how much I needed that."

He smiled over at her, "Oh, I have a pretty good idea."

She started to smile when she felt a sensation that she'd never felt before. Her stomach tightened to the point where it was rock hard, and from what she could remember from the books she'd read, it was a contraction. It wasn't painful, but it certainly wasn't pleasant. Red had turned to her to ask her a question when he saw the look on her face, "Lizzy, what is it?"

She cleared her throat and looked over at him in fear, "I think I'm having contractions."

Liz glanced over to see the panic in his eyes before he quickly masked it, "I'll call the doctor."

She nodded, "Hurry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update this, I took a break for a little while, but I'm back. At least for a little while. If you want to know what Red's tattoo says, direct your eyeballs over to my newest fic, "Stories They Tell." You'll learn the back story there. Thanks so much for reading and thanks for all the reviews/follows/favorites. Please let me know what you think, and as I've said many times, reviews are what keep us writers writing for you guys.


	7. Chapter 7

The contractions had turned out to be Braxton Hicks, and Liz couldn't think of another time in her life where she'd been more disappointed; including the situation with Tom. She wanted this baby out of her now, not in two weeks.

For the next week, she tried everything that "Supposedly" caused women to go into labor. She ate spicy food, walked around the lake by the house every day, had sex often, had Red massage her body, but nothing worked. There weren't even any more Braxton Hicks contractions.

The house was put together and the nursery was finished, but Liz felt like they were in limbo and she hated it. Red had been patient with her, but she knew he was at the end of his rope with her too. She hadn't exactly been sweet and loving the last month, but she was beyond feeling guilty about it.

OOOOOO

"Lizzy, do you feel up to going out to dinner?" Red strode into the room, dressed to the nines like usual. It wasn't fair that he got to stay trim and gorgeous, while she looked like Shamu in anything she wore.

Liz looked up at him from where she sat on the couch with her feet propped up on the coffee table. She glanced at her ankles and winced; they were really swollen. "I don't know, Red. I'm tired."

He walked over and sat next to her, a sympathetic look on his face, "Sweetheart, you haven't left the house in four days now. I think some fresh air will help." He gave her a closed mouth smile.

She looked longingly at the TV show she was watching and sighed, "I guess, but I don't want anything fancy. None of my nice clothes fit anymore." She ran a hand over his suit clad thigh, "I think you'll be overdressed anywhere we go."

He huffed a laugh, "That's not anything new, Lizzy."

"True, you just look so damn good in a suit. It's all I can do to not throw myself at you constantly." She gave him a teasing smile.

He pursed his lips, "Well, if you'd rather do that than eat, it can be arranged"

She shook her head, "Sorry, Red, I'm starving." She moved her feet off of the coffee table and sat forward. The baby kicked a few times and she smiled, rubbing a hand softly over her belly. She really did love the kid, even if she was miserable because of her.

Liz looked at him, "Can you help me up, please?"

He stood up, then held his hand out for her to take. She took it, then he pulled her up and into his arms and enveloped her into a hug. Since she was so large, he could only half hug her, and she hated that. She wanted to feel his whole body against her, it had been far too long. He ran his hands down her back, massaging it with his fists as he went. She moaned a little, and said into his ear, "If you keep that up, we might not ever leave this spot on the floor."

He began leaving little kisses on her collarbone, then moved up her neck, then finally found her mouth and kissed her softly. "Sorry, Lizzy, I'm hungry." Then he stepped back with a smirk and pulled her after him, with her groaning in protest.

They walked upstairs, then he helped her change into a soft purple sweater with black maternity dress pants. They were surprisingly comfortable, so she didn't mind wearing them. After finishing with her hair and makeup, she sat on the bed and watched as Red took off his cream colored suit (her favorite), and changed into a white dress shirt, black pants, black vest, with a purple tie that matched her sweater. As he finished, he looked over at her to see her smiling at him.

"What?" He walked over to her, finishing tying his tie.

She shook her head, "Nothing, I love you."

"Lizzy, I love you too, but sweetheart you might want to close your mouth. The drool's starting to leak out of the corner of your mouth."

She ran the back of her hand over her mouth and frowned when it came away dry, then glared at him, "That's not very nice to trick your pregnant wife, Red."

He rumbled a laugh, "You're not my wife, so I can still get away with it."

"Fine, life partner then, the sentiment is still the same."

He sat next to her on the bed, suddenly serious as he put his hand on her back and started massaging it again, "Do you want to get married, Lizzy?"

She pursed her lips thoughtfully and leaned slightly into him. She hadn't thought about it much since he'd asked her over ten months ago, but now that he was asking again, it might be a good idea.

"I think I do, actually."

His hand stopped, "Are you certain? I don't want to force or coerce you."

She shook her head in amusement, "As if you could do either of those things. I'm too strong-willed."

He nodded in agreement, his hand resuming its movement on her back, "You are, but I wouldn't have you any other way."  
She smiled and rolled her head back and forth, enjoying his ministrations.

"Lizzy, you have knots on top of knots. No wonder you're miserable."

She just groaned in response, and he continued, "As for the marriage plans, I think we should get married tomorrow at the courthouse. This baby could come anytime, and I don't want you to go into labor as we're getting married. What do you think?"  
She looked at him, then reached over and straightened his tie, "I think that's a good idea. I don't want to plan anything big."

He stood up quickly, then walked over to his drawers and opened the top one. "What are you looking for?"

He rummaged around for a few more seconds, then pulled out a small box and walked back to her, "This." Then he handed it to her.

She opened it and smiled, It was a ring, but it wasn't overly extravagant like she thought it would be. It was white gold, with three princess cut diamonds running along the top and small diamonds on either side of the larger ones running halfway on either side of the band. It was absolutely perfect.

"Red", she breathed, "I love it." She took it out and slipped it on her finger; it was a perfect fit.

She looked up at him where he was standing in front of her with his hands in his pockets, and smiled at him. He helped her up, then she kissed him deeply and a little desperately.

After a few moments she pulled back and smiled at him, "It really is perfect, and it fits just right." Leave it to Red to know her ring size.

"I'm glad you like it. I've had it for months, but haven't found the right time to give it to you."

He took her hand and brought it up to his lips, then kissed the ring softly and looked at her with a softness that he didn't often show, then mumbled, "Elizabeth Reddington has a nice ring to it,"  
She smiled happily, "I've always liked your last name better than mine." Then she ran a hand over his cheek and said, "Now come on, let's go eat."

She took his hand, and led him as quickly out of the room as she could waddle.

OOOOOO

They had just finished eating when Dembe approached the table with a worried expression on his face; something that she'd only seen a few times. He leaned over Red and whispered something in his ear, and Red glanced at her with a worried expression.

Dembe walked away quickly and Liz moved her eyes to Red, "What's wrong?"

She could see his jaw working as his left eye twitched; that was never a good sign. "Just a small matter with a former nemesis."

She sighed, "Red, I'm not in the mood to guess. What's going on?"

He grimaced, "Dembe just saw some suspicious movements outside and wanted to make sure I was aware."

"What kind of movements?"

He glanced away, then looked back at her, "It's probably nothing."

"Raymond, are we in danger?"

He winced at her use of his full name, "Possibly, we should probably be going."

She took a deep breath and stood up slowly, and he stood and walked around to help her with her coat.

Just as he slid it over her shoulders, gunshots rang out from the front of the restaurant. Red grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her quickly towards the kitchen doors at the back. Just as they reached the doors, they heard a low, deadly voice say, "Raymond Reddington, you old dog. I never thought I'd see the day where you would run away from a fight."

Red whispered in her ear, "Keep your back to him and stay behind me." Then he turned around with his hands up and a grin on his face. "Ah, Fernando. I thought I killed you three years ago in Italy, that's quite a miraculous recovery."

Fernando stepped closer, his mouth in a sneer, "I was laid up in a hospital for six months because of you. Now I'm here to kill you because of that."

Red chuckled and said sarcastically, "What took you so long? I'm guessing you haven't improved your terrible skills as a criminal. You always have been one of the worst."

Fernando walked forward quickly and stood face to face with Red, then tilted his head, "Who's the one that's being held at gunpoint? Hmmm, Raymond? It's not me." His eyes moved past Red's shoulder and he said, "Ah, and who do we have here?" Then he said in a loud voice to Liz, "Turn around or I'll start shooting parts of Reddington's body until you do." Liz turned around reluctantly with her hands up, but her face betrayed nothing.

Fernando smiled, "Well isn't she a pretty thing. Robbing the cradle much, Reddington?"

He didn't wait for Red to respond as he motioned with his gun, "Step out from behind him, I want to get a good look at you."

Liz stepped to the side of Red, then walked forward into the light. Fernando raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Wow, you look like you're ready to pop. This complicates things." He rubbed his chin dramatically, "Now what am I going to do with a pregnant woman after I kill you, Red?"

Red just pursed his lips and shrugged, "I don't know who this woman is. I was just trying to get her away from danger."

Fernando laughed, "You're such a liar. I'd heard rumors going around that you'd retired from the criminal life and got yourself a wife and kid, but I thought they were just that, rumors. I can't believe they're actually true." He pointed his gun at Liz, "How the hell did you snag someone so beautiful, and young to boot."

"Fernando, can you believe the décor in this restaurant?" He gestured with one of his hands towards the wall in front of him, "Isn't that wallpaper atrocious?"

Fernando shook his head in amusement, "I know you're just trying to distract me. It's not going to work."

Red smirked, "It was worth a shot. So what are you waiting for Fernando? Why haven't you killed me yet?"

"Because I want to enjoy it and drag it out as long as possible. I've been thinking about this for a while. Dreaming about it actually."

"Ah, Fernando. I'm flattered that you dream about me, but I like woman." He winced dramatically and dropped his voice an octave lower, "Sorry to let you know in front of these people."

Fernando walked back to Red and punched him hard in the gut, "Shut up, I'm sick of listening to you talk."

Liz had been silently watching the situation, and didn't see a way out. There was no sign of Dembe, and two of Fernando's men were standing in the back, waiting for their boss' order. It didn't bode well for her and Red's chances.

She was so lost in thought, that she didn't feel the contractions that had started after the gunshots began to go off. She didn't feel any pain because her adrenaline was running high, and she certainly didn't feel her water break until she heard Fernando say, "What the hell, woman?"

That broke her out of her reverie, and that's when felt the wet, stickiness between her legs. Shit.

Fernando said in a disgusted voice, "Did you just pee your pants?"

She smiled, "No, dipshit, my water just broke."

His face went pale and she could see him swallow thickly, "Well don't be going and having a baby now. We're in the middle of something."

Liz laughed incredulously, "You think I can just hold it in? It doesn't work like that. The baby is coming soon whether you like it or not."

She glanced at Red and saw that he was staring at Fernando stoically. She could tell he was planning something; she just needed to keep Fernando distracted long enough.

A wave a pain finally hit her, and she groaned loudly, "Oh, I need to sit down."

Fernando waved his gun towards a table to the side of him, "Sit down then, geeze woman get a grip."

Liz made her way slowly to the chair and sat down heavily. She was beginning to feel the effects of her contractions and knew they were only going to get worse. If Red was going to do something, he better do it quickly.

Fighting down the urge to vomit, she saw Red begin moving his right hand towards the waistband of his pants where he kept his gun. She needed to get Fernando to turn back towards her.

"Hey Fernando. I need to ask you something, can you come over her for a second?"

Fernando heaved a deep sigh, "Fine." The walked over to her and looked at her with raised eyebrows, "Well bitch, what do you want?"

Liz smiled sweetly at him, then sucker punched him in the gut as hard as she could. He doubled over, and she grabbed a wine bottle from the table and hit him over the head with it. He went down like a ton of bricks, and didn't get back up. While she had been dealing with Fernando, she'd heard gunshots, and hoped that Red was successful in taking out the guards. Another contraction hit her, and she hugged herself around her middle, taking deep breaths to try to focus on her surroundings.

A hand touched her back, and she sat up quickly, intent on hurting whoever it was; but it was Red and he was looking at her with concern. "Are you ok, Lizzy?"

She swallowed a few times then breathed out of her nose, "Not really. We need to get to the hospital. Is everyone ok?" She tried to look around the room, but Red was standing in her way.

He nodded, "As soon as you took out Fernando, well done by the way, the guard's attentions were on you so it was easy to take them out. No one else was injured." He pulled her up, "Now we must be going. I don't want you to have the baby in this horribly decorated restaurant."

Liz rolled her eyes and let him lead her, but then she remembered Dembe, "Is Dembe ok?"

He nodded over his shoulder, "He's a little worse for wear, but he's fine. Don't worry about him, worry about yourself."

They reached the front doors and Liz saw Dembe holding the back door of the car open for them. He had a cut over his eye, and his nose was bleeding, but at least he wasn't dead. She wouldn't be able to handle that.

Red helped her into the car, then slid in after her. The expression on his face was calm, but she could see the worry behind his eyes. She knew him well enough to know that he was raging inside, and she hoped no one got in their way or he might snap.

OOOOOO

They arrived at the local hospital in record time. The ride over had been hell for her because her contractions were coming every two minutes. She was worried they weren't going to make it in time.

Red had called ahead, so when they pulled up to the ER entrance, nurses were already waiting for them. They quickly helped her into a wheelchair, then wheeled her inside.

A male nurse stopped Red before he could follow, "Are you her husband?"

Red nodded, "I am." He wasn't going to explain their situations, it was easier just to say he was.

The nurse smiled, "Good, we have some paperwork that you need to fill out, so if you would follow me we can get that done, and you can get back to your wife."

He didn't want to fill out paperwork, he just wanted to be at Liz's side, but he didn't want to cause problems for her, so he nodded and reluctantly followed the nurse inside.

OOOOOO

"Raymond Reddington, I hate you!" She had his hand in a death grip and had hurled insults at him for the last ten minutes. He didn't mind though, they weren't things he hadn't already heard a thousand times before.

"I know, sweetheart, keep breathing in through your mouth and out your nose."

"Shut up, Red." She let go of his hand and wiped the sweat off of her forehead.

Just as she was about to continue her ranting, the doctor walked in and smiled, "I hear you're about ready to have this baby. Let me take a look to see how close you are to pushing."

Liz glared at Red instead of at the doctor, and Red just looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She didn't dare say anything to him in front of the doctor.

The doctor lifted up the sheet and said, "Whoa, you're ready to push now." He looked at the nurse next to him, "Get everyone else in here, she needs to push."

Liz looked over at Red with fear in her eyes, she'd never done this before and she was terrified. Seeing that she was silently panicking, he stood up and leaned down to speak in her ear quietly, "You're going to be fine. We'll have our daughter here in no time, and you're going to forget about all the pain and suffering you've experienced the last nine months." He kissed the spot right under her ear and continued, "Thank you for doing this, and for giving me another chance. I love you, sweetheart, never doubt that." She nodded and whispered, "I'm ready." He pulled away slightly, kissed her softly, then stood up to look at the doctor, "She's ready. Let's do this."

The doctor nodded, "Good. She's strong, she'll be fine."

OOOOOO

It only took ten minutes of pushing until the baby came. When they put the baby on her chest as Red cut the umbilical cord, she was happier than she could ever remember being. She didn't think this day would ever come, and was so glad that it was Red, not Tom, that was at her side.

They took the baby away to clean her up and take her stats. Red walked over to her with a grin on his face, "She's perfect, Lizzy, in every single way." He sat down next to her and pushed some hair back that was plastered to her forehead by sweat.

She smiled, then dropped her head back on the pillow tiredly, "I'm so glad that's over."

Red nodded, "I'm just pleased that we made it here in time. Have you thought about what you want to name her?"

She grimaced. They had disagreed during the previous two months about names so many times that she didn't want to get into it with him again. "You know I like Ellie, it goes well with your last name."

He liked that name Ok, it was one of the only ones that he liked of her suggestions.

He picked up her hand and kissed it, "Then we'll name her Ellie, it fits her. What about a middle name?"

She shook her head, "No middle name. Ellie Reddington sounds perfect."

Red smiled as the nurse handed the baby to her and said, "Yes it does."

They both stared at their little girl as Liz held her in her arms. She had a mass of dark hair, and dark blue eyes, with a perfect little nose and face. They couldn't have asked for a more beautiful baby.

Red ran his finger over Ellie's cheek softly, then leaned down and kissed Liz's jaw and whispered, "She's beautiful, just like you."

Liz turned her head and smiled at him, "And you."

He smirked, "Really Lizzy, that much is obvious."

She rolled her eyes then turned back to the baby. She couldn't pretend to know what was going to happen in the future, but she hoped that things would turn out well for them. She had the man she loved at her side, and a beautiful baby girl with him. Life couldn't be better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's it. It's been so much fun writing this story, but I think it's time to end it. I have 3 other multi-chap fics that I'm trying to keep up with, plus one-shots, so I'm ready for this one to be over. Thank you so much for your support, it really has meant so much to me. Please let me know what you think, I love feedback and since this is the last chapter, It would be nice to hear from you guys one last time. I know this was super fluffy, but it's the future and they just had a baby, so it had to be fluffy. Have a great day and you'll be seeing more from me soon. Much love to you all! :)


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